Who else might want to know that

[lonniemike]

Besides P.O. Ackley, trying and not succeeding, has anyone had luck in blowing out lead core fmj rifle bullets that had modified tips? Anyone got a running tally on incidents since, oh say, WW1 and the early sixties when this practice was not unheard of. That was when I learned of modifing tips and kits that were sold for the purpose as I got into reloading way back then.
It may never be an excellant soft point type projectile, but a number of people used them before the Internet told us any better as why it should not, could not,and not to mention how one can damage a gun or themselves or others.Rantover

 

[230RN]

<opinion><take it or leave it>

I think it's one of those "strongly not recommended" practices, especially for larger bores, that got converted to OMG in general communications for emphasis.

I for one, would never do it because of the possibility (not certainty) of blowing through the jacket. And I, too, would not recommend it and can wax pretty emphatically against it.

Any "success" with this practice depends on the jacket stiffness, thickness, pressures, and how (if at all) it is bonded to the core, all of which are unknowns to the average shooter and reloader.

The only "known" to the average shooter is how much of the jacket tip is removed by his particular "experiment," with his particular caliber, from "just a little" to all the way down the ogive.

No, I do not know of any untoward incidents, but I was a rather aggressive experimenter* with firearms, and this is something I would never have done, despite any lack of statistics antagonistic to the idea.

Just because statistics cannot be found to label a practice as dangerous does not mean it is not. Few who might have had actual "accidents" with this practice would report it, after all.

And perhaps some of them couldn't, afterwards.

</opinion>

Terry
* Not like P.O. Ackley, but almost.

 

[BLB68]

Didn't we just have a thread on this? Isn't this sort of like going to different doctors until you find one that tells you what you want to hear?

 

[uther888]

taking the tips off fmj bullets

I did this with Chinese 762x39 ammo from the early 80's I had this curiosity since the early 60's when I read about an army col. doing it to 3006 ammo and successfully hunting with it.by removing no more than 1/8th inch of tip and making 3 small lateral cuts just below the tip they were almost as explosive as wolf brand soft points and no material left in the bore of my norinco akm underfolder.a total of 10 shots.it does work but I would do it only as a last resort.

 

[Walkalong]

OK, you ground your axe.